Filling the Gap: Lessons for Policymakers and Donors on Contracting Out Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services

This primer is an update of Contracting-out Reproductive Health and Family Planning Services: Contracting Management and Operations. Focusing on the demand-side (governments and donors) of contracting out with the private sector, the primer describes the concept of contracting out, discusses its rationale and process, and summarizes three cases of contracting out programs. It closes with general conclusions from these experiences and recommendations on how to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of design and implementation of future contracting out initiatives. Readers are encouraged to learn about the supply side of contracting out with the private sector in the complementary primer Addressing the Need: Lessons for Service Delivery Organizations on Delivering Contracted-Out Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services.